Steal my life and my heart
by Scarlette-Rayne
Summary: Emma Swan is a decorated detective of the NYPD. She's collared dozens of criminals but none as attractive and dangerous as the famous jewel thief Regina Mills. When Emma's son is injured, she finds herself desperately trying to seek out the thief but not to arrest her but to ask her to help her pull a heist to save her son's life. *Swan Queen A/U*


**Steal my life and my heart**

**Chapter 1:**

* * *

"Swan, you get this one." Emma blinked as the Captain of her department an older man named George passed her a very thick file. Her partner, Graham looked on from his desk pushed up against hers in sympathy.

"What's this?" She asked, setting down her bear claw courtesy of her partner. She wiped her hands on her khaki pants and took the file. Pages immediately spilled out onto her desk and a photo landed on top. She turned away missing the eye roll of her Captain and lifted the photo. A beautiful dark haired woman stared out at her. She was holding a nameplate bearing numbers and the name Regina Mills. She arched a brow as her partner came around to her desk and released a wolf whistle.

"What a fox." He muttered and she laughed.

"Yeah, she sure is your type isn't she?" She shifted and he grinned at her.

"More like your type Swan."

Emma cut her eyes at him and then turned back. She forced the picture aside and started looking at the very thick rap sheet.

"Well she's a thief and she's a masterful one at that but she's been collared a few times." Emma said as she dug through the file. "Though it looks like she's only suspected of a lot of these."

"Take a look at this." Graham held up a picture of a beautiful diamond necklace. "Thing must be worth a fortune. Says it was taken from Mr. Gold's wife Belle."

Emma arched a brow. "The stockbroker Mr. Gold?"

"One in the same."

Emma whistled as she continued to dig. Other than the two collars Regina Mills hadn't been tried and convicted. She was brought in multiple times as a suspect and then released when there was nothing to hold her on. She arched a brow as she flipped through the expensive pieces the brunette was thought to have stolen. A diamond necklace worth a quarter of a million dollars, a tanzanite ring and earrings that were estimated at almost a half million dollars due to the size and quality of the stones, a black opal pendant estimated at a million dollars, and the prize of her collection it seemed a pink diamond ring estimated to be worth over three billion dollars. Emma shook her head as she pulled another picture of the brunette out. It was a somewhat close surveillance shot. She was dressed in a cream colored dress with a wide brimmed hat on her head. Sunglasses were perched on her nose. Strapped around her neck and wrist were an elegant set of pearls. She was sitting in some sort of outdoor café with a book tucked into her hand. Fine china rested on the white draped table and flowers rested in a vase. Overall, it looked like a picture taken out of a magazine for some sort of finery or jewelry ad.

"Those are probably stolen too." Graham muttered, breaking Emma's trance.

She shook her head and looked at him for a moment. "Yeah," She said softly, forcing herself to set the picture aside.

No one could deny the jewel thief was hauntingly beautiful. Her dark hair was thick and curled slightly around her shoulders. Her eyes were a beautiful honeyed chocolate, wide enough to be pretty but not too wide for her face. Her lips were plump and she noticed the scar bisecting the top one in the booking photo. It didn't make her unattractive, quite the contrary in fact.

"There's been a string of break ins. On the upper east side. Captain wants you to check 'em out. They think she's responsible though there isn't any proof." Graham said softly and she looked over at him with a small nod.

"I'll deal with it." She promised as she forced her hand to lower the surveillance photo and lift her bear claw. She wasn't really very hungry anymore.

* * *

"Dr. Hopper, I'm Detective Emma Swan. I'm looking into the case of your grandmother's stolen pearls?" Emma glanced down at the small notebook in her hand, wanting to make sure she had the right person matched up with the right facts. She'd all ready been to three different brownstones all with similar stories. No prints, no signs of a break-in, no fibers or hairs, nothing. It was as if a ghost had stolen the expensive jewelry. She'd have to hand it to the jewel thief if indeed she was responsible. She was thorough and very good at cracking even the toughest safes.

"Yes, thank you for coming so quickly Detective Swan. Your Captain assured me you were one of his best detectives." The man offered her a kind smile to which she found herself returning.

"I'm glad to hear that Sir and I'm sorry that this is the reason you've had call me. Can you tell me about what happened the night of the break in and the robbery?" She asked as he motioned her inside.

The man had money that much was obvious from the decorations but it was homey and felt warm. Unlike the cold home of Dr. Whale, whose brownstone she'd just come from.

"Yes, right. Well you see…I went to a book signing…" He trailed off and reached up removing his glasses and cleaning them carefully.

Emma nodded as he motioned for her to sit on the leather sofa. She took notes on the small pad and continued working as he talked.

"My Dalmatian was here but the servants said they didn't hear him bark at any time while I was gone. When I returned, I noticed the safe was open and I called the police. Um…I was only gone a few hours…hardly enough time I would think to come inside and steal."

"Unless the suspect had previous knowledge of the layout of your home. Did your dog seem hurt or dazed or anything?"

"No, he was perfectly fine."

"Then it's possible the suspect may have known your dog as well. Have you hired any new servants lately? Had any maintence crew come in or out?"

"No, neither." The doctor shook his head.

"All right. Can you show me to the safe?"

She studied the hidden mechanism closely and then looked at the safe hidden nicely in the wall behind a bookshelf. It was hard to spot due to the fake books that swung out but not that difficult if you knew what you were looking for. The suspect knew this house though. There was no way in the short window of time they had to get into the safe and get the pearls that this would've happened. Not to mention the dog having full run of the place. She looked over at the dalmatian who was watching her carefully. She wasn't particularly threatened by the dog but she could see his eyes scanning over her and watching everything closely.

"Do you think it's possible?"

"What Dr. Hopper?"

"Well there is rumor that these break-ins are some famous jewel thief."

"We can't be sure of that Sir. We're looking into every possibility."

The kind Doctor nodded and Emma looked back at the safe.

* * *

"Hey Swan," Killian Jones grinned at her from across the bullpen. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He had been her partner when she'd originally moved to the unit but she'd been so uncomfortable with him that within two weeks she'd ask to switch partners. She'd quickly been teamed up with Graham and the relationship worked much better for her but it still seemed that Jones wouldn't take the hint and leave her be.

"What's up Hook?" She called him by his moniker just like everyone else. The man offered her a smarmy grin, which she didn't return. He wasn't a bad guy per say…just a little sleazy and she didn't really feel like dealing with him tonight. She wanted to get home to her son.

"We're going to the bar to have a drink. You coming?"

"No, I'm gonna sit this one out. Big case and all."

Hook eyed her for a moment before heaving a sigh and moving towards her. He shut the file she was looking at and perched on the corner of her desk.

"Look, I know we've not had the best working relationship…and I respect that I ran you off. I'm trying to make up for it." He offered as she eyed him. He offered her a small smile, which she found herself returning. "So please…will you join us?"

She remained quiet for a moment, leaving him on edge. "Yeah…just let me see if I can find a baby sitter okay?"

"Okay. I'll wait on you downstairs."

"Okay." Emma watched him go with a small smile and shake of her head. She'd sometimes go out with Graham, drinking and playing darts but that was about it. She didn't usually make it a point to seek out others. It had been her and her son Henry for as long as she could remember. She had a few one-night stands here or there but nothing serious.

Graham and Henry were the only two constants in her life and she was content with that. She looked at her phone and then the picture of her son she kept on her desk. He'd be happy for her to make friends with other people. He felt like she needed someone even though she'd assured him that wasn't the case. She was happy with just the two of them. And besides that her tastes usually ran to the fairer sex rather than men now a days. She'd been burned too badly by one man and she'd yet to seek one out since then for a relationship. Then again she didn't seek women out either. She opened the file on her desk back up and studied the surveillance photo of the dark haired beauty.

"If you weren't a crook, you'd be my type." She muttered to herself. She rarely took work home with her but something told her to grab the file and take it with her. She slipped her leather jacket on and turned off the lamp on her desk. She was the last one in the bullpen at this point. She sighed as she made her way to the elevator and drew her cell phone from her bag. She needed a babysitter if she was going to drink with the guys tonight. The file provided a nice sturdy presence that for some strange reason calmed her. She'd figure this out and she'd collar the jewel thief is she was responsible and hopefully her big chocolate eyes and beautiful face wouldn't let her get away with it again. The elevator dinged as she lifted her cellphone to her ear.

"Hey Ashley, it's Emma. Can I ask a favor?" The doors closed as she spoke, leaving the empty bullpen behind.


End file.
